America-Japan Society Announces The Fifth Kaneko Award Recipients

Tokyo, August 5 ー The America-Japan Society announced three recipients of The Fifth Kaneko Award for 2024. They were Ms Masako Kawai of Gifu, Ms Susan Schmidt of Colorado, and Mr Sadao Watanabe. Mr Sadao Watanabe will receive a Special Award.

Count Kentaro Kaneko was the first president of the America-Japan Society. The organization was established in 1917 to promote people-to-people relations between Japan and the United States. Count Kaneko was known for successfully persuading his fellow Harvard alumnus, President Theodore Roosevelt, to use his good offices to convene the Portsmouth Peace Treaty Conference between Japan and Russia after the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese war.

The Kaneko Award was founded in 2017 to commemorate the centennial of the establishment of the America-Japan Society in 1917. It is given to those who have worked for many years to promote people-to-people exchanges between Japan and the United States. In particular, it focuses on the people who worked at the grassroots level.

Additionally, it also recognizes prominent persons who have made distinguished contributions to Japan-US relations with its Special Award.

The committee is comprised of Mr Yuzaburo Mogi, Honorary Chairman of Kikkoman Co (Chairman), Mr Yoji Ohashi, Senior Advisor of ANA Holdings, Mr Christopher LaFleur, Vice President of the America-Japan Society, Ms Hiroko Kuniya, a journalist, Dr Fumiaki Kubo, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, Ms Eriko Kameoka, President of the Kashiyama Scholarship Foundation, and Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, President of the America-Japan Society.

The Fifth Kaneko Award Recipients

*Japanese Masako Kawai*, *recipient of the America-Japan Society's Fifth Kaneko Award. (©America-Japan Society)*

Ms Masako Kawai

Masako Kawai was recommended by the America-Japan Society of Gifu. She was born in Gifu in 1950.

With a spirit of social service, high language skills, and excellent leadership, Ms Kawai has planned and executed various volunteer activities for many years, mainly in the field of international exchange and cooperation. Furthermore, she has contributed to the development of local communities at the citizen and grassroots levels.

In particular, with regard to relations with the United States, Ms Kawai set up an America-Japan Society booth at the international exchange event "Hello Gifu Hello World," which has been held by the Gifu Prefecture International Exchange Association Council since 1988. This event has also contributed to the internationalization of the region by continuing to introduce and disseminate American culture in collaboration with the American Center.

In addition, the America-Japan Society Gifu and the US Consulate in Nagoya have co-sponsored a "Meeting to Talk About Your Feelings in English" for high school students in Gifu Prefecture. Ms Kawai has worked with it to foster an interest in English culture and studying abroad in the United States among participating students.

Furthermore, Ms Kawai arranged the planting site in Gifu for the 2015 Dogwood Centennial Festival as an expression of Japan-US friendship by planting a commemorative tree. Along with that she worked hard to negotiate with local governments on holding commemorative ceremonies to further deepen the Japan-US friendship.

*American Susan Schmidt, recipient of the America-Japan Society's Fifth Kaneko Award. (©America-Japan Society)*

Ms Susan Schmidt

Susan Schmidt was recommended by the National Association of Japan America Societies. She was born in Colorado in 1946.

Ms Schmidt has actively emphasized the importance of Japanese language studies in the United States, promoted publications and materials for the Japanese language education community, and expanded professional development opportunities for teachers.

In addition, as the person in charge of study abroad projects in Japan, she has been responsible for building and maintaining study abroad information databases and websites, managing scholarship programs for American students studying in Japan, as well as holding panels and preparing grants and various proposals.

Through the organization, Ms Schmidt has promoted the creation and conclusion of agreements, and has made a long-term contribution to Japanese language education in the United States and Japan-US higher education exchange.

From 1976 to 1996, she worked at the University of Tokyo International Press. As an editor, she promoted joint publication, contract agreements, sales and promotion outside Japan of English books in the humanities field with overseas publishers. Since 1999, she has served as a director and secretary general of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ).

*Sadao Watanabe, on March 22 in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. (©Sankei by Takeshi Ishii)*

Special Awards

Mr Sadao Watanabe

Sadao Watanabe was recommended by a member of the America-Japan Society. He was born in Tochigi, in 1933.

Mr Watanabe released his first leader album in 1961 and from the following year he studied abroad at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since returning to Japan in 1965, he has continued to contribute to the development of jazz, always working as a player at the forefront. In particular, he is notable for expanding the possibilities of jazz by incorporating musical elements from Brazil and Africa while keeping jazz as his base.

To date, Mr Watanabe has released more than 80 leader albums. In particular, since the late 1970s, he has led the fusion music scene. He created iconic songs such as "California Shower" and "Rendezvous," orchestrating prominent American musicians. Subsequently he has continued to release many masterpiece albums in mainstream jazz as well as in fusion and bossa nova.

In addition to producing albums, Mr Watanabe actively performs live. He remains the only jazzman in the world who has been pursuing a new style of jazz for over 70 years. When US President Bill Clinton visited Japan in 1996, Mr Watanabe played the saxophone at a welcome luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. In an episode at the time, he presented his instrument to the president, who loves playing the saxophone.